Women's Basketball

In Historic Matchup, UCSB Faces Long Beach For Big West Title

• The ScheduleSaturday, March 10, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.Big West Tournament Championship GameNo. 6 UC Santa Barbara (16-15) vs. No. 7 Long Beach State
at Anaheim's Honda Center
Series record vs. the 49ers – 46-21
Streak – Won 1
Last time out vs. the 49ers – W, 47-35 (@ UCSB, 2/25/12)
Game broadcast on AM 990 KTMS and streaming online by clicking here
Game broadcast live on FSN Prime Ticket

• The Gauchos and the Big West Tournament
UC Santa Barbara will be making its 16th appearance in the Big West Tournament title game, the most in Big West history. UCSB is 13-2 in tournament championships, having captured nine in a row from 1997-2005. Please see page 1 of the postseason media guide for UCSB's breakddown vs. opponents in the tournament.

• UCSB and Long Beach State – a Lot of History
The Gauchos and the 49ers are not in unfamiliar territory by meeting up in the Big West title game. UCSB and LBSU met up in three consecutive Big West title games, 1999-2001, with UCSB winning each time. The Gauchos are 4-0 vs. the 49ers all-time in Big West title game history, also winning over the 49ers in 1992. UCSB is 8-3 all-time in Big West tourney play vs. Long Beach – its most wins vs. any other school – having won eight in a row. UCSB's last loss against LBSU in tourney history came in 1990 when, coincidentally, the Gauchos were the sixth seed. This season is the only other time UCSB has been the No. 6 seed in Big West Tournament history.

• Notes From Semifinals Win Over Pacific
UCSB's 84-66 win over Pacific in the semifinals marked the Gauchos' most points they have scored in a game this season and their most since an 86-83 overtime victory in December last season vs. Cal State Bakersfield. The 84 points are the most the team has scored in a 40-minute game since an 80-75 win on Feb. 27, 2010 vs. Cal Poly. The Gauchos' 47 second-half points were also a season best. Melissa Zornig's 23 points were a career-high for her and the most scored by a Gaucho player this season, while Nicole Nesbit's 20 points were also a career-high. UCSB's 54.2% shooting from the floor was also a season high. Emilie Johnson's 10 free throws made and 12 attempted were also career highs.

• For The Record
UCSB, at 16-15, has assured itself of no worse than a .500 season, marking the 21st time in the past 22 seasons that has happened. The Gauchos' 8-8 mark at the end of the Big West's regular season guaranteed that the Gauchos have finished .500 or better in Big West play for 22 straight seasons.

• Aiming for a Perfect 10
With Emilie Johnson as the Gauchos' leading scorer at 9.8 points per game, the team does not have a scorer averaging 10.0 or more ppg. At this rate, Johnson needs 16 points vs. Long Beach State to finish at an even 10.0 points per game. Only once in UCSB program history has a team not had at least one player average double digits. That came in 1982-83 when Thyra Ladyman led the way with 9.7 points per game, a team that averaged 61.7 points per game.

• Em-J Updates
Here's a look at where Emilie Johnson ranks all-time in UCSB history after her game vs. Pacific: Her 1,348 career points are 13th all-time in school history (30 behind Mia Fisher, 2001-05, for 12th); her 209 career three-pointers are fourth (six behind Jess Hansen, 1999-2003); she is first in career three-pointers attempted (639); and Johnson's 338 career assists are eighth all-time (13 behind Erin Alexander, 1993-96).